The Memphis Zoo sponsored teams in Herff's Senior Design Expo

(Pictured: Team Catapulters and the automated feeding catapult they designed for the Memphis Zoo.)

The Herff College of Engineering is extremely grateful to all of the industry partners who sponsored students' 2026 Senior Design projects. The nine-month assignments serve as the capstone projects for Herff's engineering students and allow students to work hand-in-hand with industries. 

The Memphis Zoo sponsored three teams in Herff's 2026 Senior Design Expo. Those teams, Team Safari Slingers, Team Zoo Crew, and Team Catapultures, all designed catapult feeding devices to help enrich feeding methods for the zoo's animals. The automated systems randomly, and at different distances, propel food into animals' enclosures. The devices reduce manual labor while making the feeding experience safer for humans and more stimulating for the animals. 

Team Catapultures designed an autoloader that holds up to eight payloads worth of treats and food. The semi-automated, self-reloading catapult has a maximum launch of 140 feet, designed specifically to feed the zoo's grizzlies and randomly distribute food continously throughout an eight-hour shift. 

Team Zoo Crew's catapult works with a flywheel-driven launch mechanism powered by a three-phase induction motor is regulated by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) for precise speed control. An Arduino-based controller calculates a randomized target distance, determines the required rotational speed in revolutions per minute (RPM), monitors real-time feedback, and activates an electromagnetic clutch at the programmed release condition.

Team Safari Slingers opted to go with a wooded-frame catapult powered by four or six 12-volt direct current motors. An Arduino Mega microcontroller is used to coordinate motor operation through motor controllers, enabling controlled arm rotation, tensioning, and release. The structure and mechanical components are designed using CAD to ensure proper alignment, strength, and repeatable motion before fabrication. The deliverables include the capability of launching up to 150 ft along with various angles, a safety and user manual, and randomized automated feeding. 

(Pictured: Team Safari Slingers and a representation of the catapult they designed for the Memphis Zoo.) 

Herff College of Engineering Dean Okenwa Okoli said the experience helped to better prepare Herff's students, both for research and hands-on work.

“Nothing beats that experience. The students learn how to present. They learn how to argue their case and they learn how to solve problems,” Dean Okoli said.

Thank you, Memphis Zoo, for supporting Herff students!